Flushing-tank.



Y No. 849.508. PATBNTBD APR. 9, 1907.

c.. WILLMs.

FLUSHING TANK.

APPLIUTION FILED OCT-2U. 190B.

CHARLES .WII,.I'.Ms, or BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

FLUSHING-TANK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Application filed October 26,1906. erial No. `340,677.

Patented April e, 1907.

To alt whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES WILLMs, a citizen of the United States, residing in Baltimore city, State of Maryland, have inventthe kind in which the flush-water is delivered through an opening in the bottom of the vtank,`.whicli.is normally closed by a valve that is opened by hand and which auto- Inaticallycloses when the tank is emptied or nearly emptied. Such valves are commonly made in such manner as to be more or less buoyant, so as to stand.- open or away from tlievalve-seat until the flushing operation is completed. Valves of this kind are often made of metal, such as copper, having facesl next the valve-seat made of rubber, vulcanized iiber, or-similar soft material. These valves are also sometimes made of rubber or of glass. When made of metal, such as copper, the chemical action of the water will often cause the metal to corrode and render the valve inoperative. When made of glass,

. there is always liability of breakage. When I. vitreous enamel in such manner as to prothem such valves are made ofqrubber, it is necessary to embed a socketiece in the valve to receive 'the valve-spmd e, and such socket- `piece often separates from the valve, and

thus renders the valve inoperative. Furthermore, valves made of -rubber willV in time harden and crack and become leaky and are thus made useless.

According to my invention form valves of this kin of metal and cover them with tect them from corrosive action and render ractically indestructible; The bottom ofp the valve I face with rubber or other suitable material, and the valve-seat, which is of im roved construction, is formed with an lannu ar rib lying close to lthe bottom .of

. on the bottom of the valve.

the tank` and which receives the soft facing In `the accompanying drawings I have shown 'my improvements applied to a tank of the kind shown in my girior applications, eptem er 5, 1906,

described as being formed .of thin sheet metal and enameled and associated with a condensation-collector also formed of sheet metal `and enameled and which receives water of condensation dripping from the water-conlin the Hush-opening andthe valve-seat associated therewith.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a f iushingtank embodying my4 improvements, some of the parts bemg shown in section and some parts being-broken away to better'illustrate other parts. Fig. 2 is a view, partly in ele- `vation,`partly in section, and onan enlarged scale, of my improved valve and its seat. Fig. 3 is a detail v iew in section of` the main body portion of the valve coated on the inside with an enamcling composition. Fig. 4 is a detail view, in transverse section, of the body portionof the valve coated on its upper side with an enameling composition. Fig. 5 shows the valve covered on the outside with enameling composition and ready to be fired. Fi 6 is a detail view showing how the enain'e ing composition is appliedA around the 'oint of the body portion of the val-ve with t e bottom thereof. Figi 7 shows how the valve, \its stem, guide, and rubber facing are assembled.

The general organization of the tank and I its accessories is similar to that shown in my applications for patent above mentioned.

The water-containing tank A is surrounds d by a jacket or condensation-collector D,

which is provided with a removable cover E.

There is an air-space X surrounding the Water-containin@r tank between it and thecon- 'densation-collector. The inlet-valve and its attaching devices F are of the kind shown in my prior applications and need not be here described.

The flush-pipe G is connected, by the means of a branch pipe H, with the space X, surrounding the water-tank, and the water of condensation and also overflow water pass through this branch pipe to the dischargei e G. p l'lheiloat I operates in the usual Way, and the handle J is connected by a rod y' to the lever C, which carries a rod K,.connecting loosely with the valve-stem L, vguided by a bracket M and connected inthe manner hereinafter described to the valve N, which controls the How of Hush-water to the discharge-pipe G. The valve-Seat? is connected with the flush-pipe G,fthe tank A, and the condensation-collector D in the same Way as that described in my application for patent tiled September 5, 1906; but the details of construction of the valve-seat are IOO somewhat different. In my prior application just referred to the valve is in the form of a ball made ol rubber and the. valve-seat` is below the level ol the bottom of the watercontaining tank. According lo my )resent invention the bottom of the valveis flat and the flange p of the valve-seat. is made to lie close to the bottom of the: tank and is provided with an annular rib lQ to receive the valve. This valve-seat, the construction of which is clearly shown in Fig. 2, is made by drawing a tube into shape in a similar manner to that' described in'my application of.

,- the body portion n and the bottom part n.

The part n ispreferably made of' a sin le piece of sheet steel or iron drawninto t 1e sha, e indicated in Fig. 2.- The part n is also re erably made of a single iece of metal, aving a strengthening annu ar rib 'n2 and a flange n3, adapted to receive the bottom edge of the part n, as clearly shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

. In order torender the valve proof against any liability of corrosion, I coat itwith a vitrified enamel. Preferably I coat it on both the inside and the outside, although it is not ositively necessary to coat it on the inside; ut as a matter of precautlon to avold possible corrosion, owing to any slight leak,

rab y an inner coating is refe provided. When this is the case, t 1e upper section a of the valve is coated on the inside with an enameling composition, as indicated at in Fig. 3, and the bottom section of the valve is coated-on the upper or inner side in the manner indicated at in Fig. 4.

kIt will be noted that there is .an opening in the section n at y and in the section n" at y. These are for the purpose of receiving a rod which is connected with the valve-guide and 'with the valve-stein; but they also serve the purpose of permitting the escape of heated air during lring rocess. I would remark, however,-that on y one opening is needed for this urpose. i'

Vi en the two sections of the valve are coated in the manner above specified, the parts are assembled' and then. coated completely on the outsidewith the enameling composition, as' indicated in Figs. 5, 6, and 7. When thus coated, thevalve maybe supported in the manner indicated in Fig. 5 and fired until the vitrifiedenalnel is produced. The valve is then ready to be connected with its stem and uide.

It will e observed' -by reference to Fig. 6 that the flange n3 does not lie close to the in` clined. walls of the section n of the valve,

of the flush-water.

whereby a trough or gutter z is produced,

which receives a more liberal supply of enamel than would otherwise be the case, and the up )er edge of the flange also holds an increase-d quantity oi enamel. In this way not only are the two sections ol the valve firmly united with each other, but the joint is completely sealed. The valve N thus completed is shown in section in Fig. 7.

I provide. thevalve with a guide l, which is shown as consisting of a circular plate r, carrying an upwardly-projecting centrally-l arranged spindle r and ilownwarilly-projectJ ing rods r2, which act as guides in the manner indicated inv Fig. 2. Before connecting the guide with the valve I place on the spindle r a washer S, of rubber or similar soft material.

'lhen the spindle is passed through the openings y and y and a soft washer T'isplaced on the spindle, and-then the nut T 1s applied to the upper screw-threadedend tof the spindle 1*. In this way the guide is securely connected to the valve and the washer S is held firmly in place. The valve-spindle L 1s then connected with the nut T in the manner clearly indicated in the drawings. The valve is now complete and ready to be placed on its seat.

The valve operates in precisely the same manner as other valves of its class, but 1s 1ndestructible, being neither hable to` break 1n handling or to corrode by the chemical action i It is also cleaner than most valves, not being so liable to collect sediment, and can be easily cleaned if necessary.

If desired, in order to insure perfect enameling I may apply a second coat of' enamel to the outside of the valve. When this is done, an enameling composition should be used for 'the outer coatingwhich melts or fluxes at a lower temperature than that ofthe first coating.

It will be observed that the bracket M is attached to the front wall of the water-con;v taining tank and that these attaching devices do not extend through the space between the tank' and the collector and lthat they are not exposed at the outside. The bracket M operates both as a guide and a stop to limit the upward movement ofthe valve N, the arrangement being such that the valve rcannot 'move to such a degree upward as to withdraw the guide-rods 1'2 from the valve-seat P. Inthis way the valve 'is prevented from being moved so. farout of the IOO IIO

way astobe unableto find its seat when it closes. Y

I lclaim as my invention- 1`. A lierineticallysealed valve made in assembled Y sections covered hollow' buoyant with vitrified enamel and provided with ineansfor draining water from the condensafor the valve-stein secured to thewater-conconnected with said nut and uide-rods 'attached to saidfirst-rnentione rod and extend' U downwardly from the valve.

2.` T e combination of a water-containi tank, a condensation-collector associate therewith and havin@r an air-s ace between its bottom and the bottom o .the tank, a valve-seat extending through said air-space, a flush-pipe connected with the valve-seat,

tion-collector into the flush-pipe, a flushvalve, downwardly-projecting guide-rods fitting the valve-seat, a valve-stem and a guide tainin tank' and which acts as a stop to limit the upward movement of the valve.

3. The combination of a water-containing tank, `a condensation-collector surrounding it and having an air-space between its botl scribed my name;

tom and the bottom of the tank, a valve-seat extending through said air-space, a flushpipet connected therewith and receiving Hushwater from the valve-seat, means for drainin water from the condensation-collector, a va ve, the guide-rods extending downwardly therefrom and guided by the vertical walls of the valve-seat, and a stop attached to the front wall of the water-containing tank for so limiting the upward movement of the valve that the guide-rods are prevented from rising out of the valvef'seat.

In testimony whereofl have hereunto sub- CHARLES WILLMS.

Witnesses:

WM. B. RAYNER, JOHN J. OULLEN. 

